Best 10 Dining Experiences of 2013!

It's the last day of 2013 and time to say hello to 2014! Cliche as it may sound, 2013 seemed to pass by in a flash, but food wise, it certainly made an indelible mark on me. *Pat my tummy and scream!!!*. Working hard (or more appropriately, eating less) to make the weighing scale my friend again is perpetually an impossible uphill task as I face endless temptations which I happily succumbed into and none of which I'm regrettable for, because though the food may not always live up to expectations, the company which I had usually more than made up for it. Many thanks to my friends, fellow bloggers and foodies for sharing the calories in our gastronomic adventures, the chefs, business owners and PRs for your kind hospitality, as well as the media for the chance to participate in the Singapore Blog Awards and filming for Channel 8's Tuesday Report Program (airing in Jan 2014). Thankful to have you too, my readers, with me on this journey of Experiencelism & Experimentalism! XOXO

2013 has seen quite a number of famous overseas restaurants first establishing their presence in Singapore, such as Jamie's Italian, Madam Kwan's, Tim Ho Wan, Nara Thai, and MK Restaurant, though the chicken wing lover in me was most excited over the two new chicken wings speciality shops, Wings World and WingStop lol. Falling in love at St. Marc Café and receiving Ladurée macarons from an angel was one of the many happy moments, and I experienced mouthfuls of euphoric joy in the best egg benedict I had so far at Common Man Coffee Roasters. Though we now see quality dessert enhanced with collagen (AmaSoy Japanese Pudding), burgers becoming impossibly cute (Bear Bites) and new cafés sprouting everywhere on our tiny island, I still revisit places such as Soup Restaurant, Le Chasseur and Fukuichi for good old familiarity. Also, humble hawker delights are ones which I always have a craving for. Fried Chee Cheong Fun, BBQ Chicken Wings, Ban Mian, Char Kway Teow, Laksa, bring it on yo!

Earlier this year as I attended a most touching wedding when My Best Friend Married My Cousin, I realized there are also sentimental moments which I wanna share through this blog. It made me start the {Sentimental Sundays} series since Father's Day in June, touching on topics which may or may not be food related, but are always close to my heart, like how I did a short Hawker Stint when I was younger which made me more forgiving when the food turns out to be less than perfect as I believe no self-respecting hawker wants to serve bad-tasting food on purpose.

While the BEST 5 Unforgettable Meals of 2012 remains unforgettable, I'm presenting to you the BEST 10 Dining Experience which PinkyPiggu had in 2013 (listed below in no particular order). It goes deeper beyond what I think is the best food, best restaurant or best new discovery as I believe a good dining experience does not stay within the confines of those labels.

Looking forward to an even more awesomely delicious 2014. Happy New Year, everyone! :D

Tonny Restaurant

Address: No. 8-10 Geylang Lor 3, Singapore 388862
Contact: +65 6748 6618
Website:  http://www.tonnyrestaurant.sg/
Opening Hours: Tue - Sun, 12pm - 3pm & 6pm - 10.30pm (Closed on Mondays)

What a fantastic feast! Definitely one of the best makansutra dinner I had in recent months. Usually there will be 1 or 2 dishes which I don't like but that evening, all the dishes met the mark. Love it all. It was another great evening of catching up with foodie friends and meeting new people who shares the same passion. You are part of my superb dining experience and raised it to a truly memorable one. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/04/tonny-restaurant-geylang-march-makan.html

NamNam Noodle Bar

Website: http://namnamnoodlebar.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namnamnoodlebar?fref=ts

Raffles City
Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-46/47, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Contact: +65 63360550
Opening Hours: 8am - 9.30pm (last order)

Wheelock Place
Address: 501 Orchard Road #B2-02, Wheelock Place, Singapore 238880
Contact: +65 67351488
Opening Hours: 8am - 9.30pm (last order)

It was a moo-licious pho night! Just one call was all it took for the few of us to ditch our evening plans and make our way to NamNam Noodle Bar instead, simply because it's The Hungry Cow's birthday! It was a rather impromptu gathering as the cow managed to finish all his work that evening, thus freeing himself up for a celebration. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/05/namnam-noodle-bar-raffles-city-moo.html

MooJaa, Mookata Thai BBQ Steamboat

Address: 25 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089132
Contact: +65 65364780
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MooJaa.sg
Opening Hours: Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11.30am-2pm / Dinner (Mon-Sat) 5pm-6am, (Sun) 5am-11pm

We love our BBQ, we love our steamboat! Mookata, a Thai-style BBQ steamboat, married our two loves and captured our hearts. What fired up a regular simmering pot of soupy goodness is the touch of sizzling smokey fragrance most irresistible and tummy gratifying, an experience which we thoroughly enjoyed at MooJaa. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/07/moojaa-singapores-no1-mookata-thai-bbq.html

Bar-Roque Grill

Address: 165 Tanjong Pagar, #01-00 Amara Hotel, Singapore 088539
Contact: +65 64449672
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarRoqueGrill
Opening Hours: Tue-Sat Lunch 12-2.30pm • Dinner 5.30-10.30pm • Bar Menu 2.30pm-late / Sun Rotisserie 12-3pm • Dinner 5.30-1 pm • Bar Menu 2.30-10pm / Mon Closed

Applause goes to the stellar cast of Chef Stephane, Kori, Sous-chef Alex and their assiduous team as they played out the restaurant's motto ~ 'Love on the Plate' ~ with much fervor. Their food expresses a grand appetite for life, refined yet hearty, traditional yet innovative. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/08/bar-roque-grill-exciting-new-restaurant.html

海底捞火锅 HaiDiLao Hot Pot

Address: 3D River Valley Road, #02-02 Clarke Quay, Singapore 179023
Contact: +65 6337 8626 / 6337 8627
Website: http://www.haidilao.com/sg/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaiDiLaoHotPot
Opening Hours: 10.30am to 3am Daily

Thanks to my friend for bringing me to HaiDiLao which pampered us with great service, entertained us with 'noodle dance' and satisfied our tummies with delicious food! Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/08/haidilao-hot-pot-clarke-quay-place.html

Pidgin Kitchen & Bar

Address: 7 Dempsey Road, #01-04, Singapore 249671
Contact: +65 64750080
Website: http://www.pidgin.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PidginSingapore
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat Lunch 12pm-2.30pm, Dinner 6.30pm-10.30pm / Closed on Sun

A meet-up with a friend of 20 years! Pidgin offers favorites which we are familiar with, yet is able to capture our attention with their brave and interesting twist on it. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/09/pidgin-kitchen-bar-intriguing.html

Gunther's Modern French Cuisine

Address: 36 Purvis Street, #01-03, Singapore 188613
Contact: +65 63388955 / +65 90103075 (sms)
Website: http://www.gunthers.com.sg/home/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gunthers
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm / Closed on Sunday

The dining experience at Gunther's was indeed an awesome one. Not only was the food impeccable, the service was attentive and faultless, leaving us all deeply impressed. Gunther's reputation as a top dining establishment is one which it certainly lives up to and absolutely deserves the many accolades it was awarded.Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/11/gunthers-modern-french-cuisine-purvis.html

Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant

Address: 110 Amoy Street, Singapore 069930
Contact: +65 63248310 / 63243268
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goldleaf-Restaurant/540138929365876
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch 11.30am-2.30pm / Dinner 6pm-11pm

More often than not, the younger generation get caught up in pursuit of the latest cafes or food fad, without realizing there's a lot of traditional gems to be re-discovered too. I applaud Goldleaf for their efforts to stay connected with the evolving times through social media channels and blogger engagements to reach out to this group of youngsters, while maintaining what Goldleaf does best: Dishing out comforting, endearing classics for all generations. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/11/goldleaf-new-taiwan-porridge-restaurant.html

Teppei Japanese Restaurant

Address: Orchid Hotel, 1 Tras Link, #01-18, Singapore 078867
Contact: +65 62227363
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teppeirestaurant

Opening Hours
Lunch:  Mon-Fri 11.45am-3pm / Sat 12.15pm-3pm / Not available on Sundays
Dinner: 1st seating 6.30pm-8.20pm / 2nd seating 8.40pm-11pm / Closed at 11pm everyday and on selected Sundays

It was an evening of scrumptious food with lovely company, while soaking in the jovial and bustling atmosphere of Teppei. Japanese music played throughout in the background, sometimes lively, sometimes sentimental. "あなたに会いたくて... もう一度会いたくて..." awww... such simple lyrics, but it tugged at my heartstrings that night. The whole experience is nothing short of awesome. I'm a very satisfied PinkyPiggu! Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/12/teppei-japanese-restaurant-orchid-hotel.html

Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶

Address: 302 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok), Singapore 469460
Contact: +65 62733338
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soonhuatbakkutteh
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 9.30pm Daily

A meal chock full of heartwarming grace. The unique bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) broth is robust, with well-balanced flavours of herbal, peppery and sweetness integrating in harmony. An eatery founded by Jabez Tan, a man whose heart was transformed by God, leading to his repentance and a new lease of life not only for himself, but also for his team which is made up of mainly ex-convicts. They can't rewrite their past, but they can definitely still paint a bright future. Read about it at http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2013/12/soon-huat-bak-kut-teh-simpang-bedok.html With God, all things are possible.